Blurred Lines
by CPDSVU
Summary: When another working girl OD's, Hailey and Jay are sent in to put a stop to the drugs running rampant on the club scene. But when the line between professional and personal becomes too thin, will they be able to keep it together without compromising the case – or their lives? Another multi-chapter Upstead fic to tide you over till Sept! Rated T overall, but mature themes included.
1. Waking Up

Hailey slowly opened her eyes, attempting to take in her surroundings. She was about to move to get up when a nurse stopped her. 

"Oh no sweetie, don't move now. You've got to rest still." 

She sighed, laying back against her pillow. When she squinted, her left eye hurt, as did her head on that side. She winced, and the nurse must have noticed her change in expression. 

"Now you just relax, okay? Your friends have been eagerly waiting to see you." 

Hailey's brows furrowed. _Friends?_ She didn't have friends. She had _coworkers_. The nurse must have meant the team. At least that's who she hoped she meant, because that meant they could fill in the huge gaps left in her memory. The last thing she remembered was the knife to her throat. She shook her head, not wanting to think about her near brush with death again. 

A figure behind the door caught her attention. Her sergeant walked in. "Hey. Just wanted to see how you were doing." He moved over to the side to let Antonio, Adam, Kim, and Kevin through. 

"Hey Hails."  
"Thank god you're alright."  
"We were all so worried!"  
"Any word from the doctor?" 

She took in Adam, Kevin, Kim, and Antonio's words one by one, soaking in the comfort from her team. She hadn't seen her life go by like that since her cabin kidnapping with Kim a while ago. This was way more intense, but that was partly because of the one person that _wasn't_ there. 

She craned her head, looking around her team. "Where's Jay?" 

She watched the 5 of them look around at each other. Hank spoke first.

"He's outside. He didn't know if you would be up for seeing him."

Hailey's expression softened. "Yes of course I want to see him. He's my partner. I need to talk to him."

Hank nodded, and motioned for Jay to come in. 

Hailey felt a wave of relief wash over her when she saw her partner's face. She honestly didn't know if she'd see him again. She couldn't remember anything after that moment when Andre had that knife to her throat. 

"Could you guys give us a minute?" Hailey asked. Jay shuffled around, still not looking at her. The rest of the team nodded and vacated the room, leaving just her and Jay. 

"Jay?" She tried, softly. "Jay, please. Please look at me."

When he finally did look up her, she noticed the redness around his eyes. Had he been crying? She didn't want to ask, but before she could even utter another word, he spoke.

"Hailey, how can I? How can I look at you and talk to you like everything's okay? Do you even remember the last time I looked at you was?"

Hailey could feel her eyes get teary. "Jay, I...I don't remember anything after Andre held me hostage. That's part of the reason I wanted to talk to you. You...you were the one that was closest to this. What else happened last night? Please, help me to remember." 

Jay's eyes were locked on hers now, as if he was memorizing her. When he finally broke the stare to grab a chair, she felt the heat go with it. Like there was a new intensity between them. She knew that already though. She had just forgotten what that looked like from his eyes. 

He put the chair up next to her bed and sat down. He ran a hand over the back of his neck and over his face. "You sure about this?"

Hailey instinctively reached for his hand, grabbing half of it from her bed. "Yes." She watched as he took the rest of her hand in his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. 

"Alright, here it goes."


	2. Going Under

"Sarge, that's another OD in Canaryville. That makes 4 this month. All working girls. This last one,"

Jay filled in the name for Hailey, since he had her file in front of him. "Mara Hanson. She went by Bella and was another one of Lancaster's girls. Worked at club 1-5 too. Just like Beth, Anna, and Lori." 

"Alright, so we've got to infiltrate. Talk to your CIs. I'm gonna reach out to the Club 1-5 owner. You all remember that bust we did last year, yeah? Well that's the same place that these drugs have been going through. So if the owner wants to stay on our good side, he'll help us get this done."

The team nodded in unison, agreeing with their boss. "Antonio, you and Kevin reach out to your CIs on the streets and in the club circuit. Kim, you and Adam will pose as buyers. Jay and Hailey, you two will be going under. Everybody good?"

"Yeah."

"Yep."

"You got it, Sarge."

"Got it, boss." 

They all paired off and went about their business. Hailey knew why Voight had done the pairs this way. After his speech of everyone goes home, and everything that's out of work, stays outside work, she knew that when she was here, she had to be all about the job. And even though she and Jay had grown close as partners, she knew that he'd always be focused on the job like she was. If she was paired with Adam, they would've eventually let their whirlwind 'friends with benefits' situation cloud their judgments. Course lately, she didn't really know what the hell she was doing with Adam. Sure, they'd still see each other on occasion, but besides that, it was like all they did was argue. He'd been taking on more responsibility in the unit, which was fine by her...until he started adopting even more of Voight's tactics. She wasn't necessarily a play by the rules cop either, but she didn't need another Sargent in her life. That's what Voight was - she didn't need her boyfriend to be one to her too. Lately he'd been all about what was the best move for the team, or what would put him ahead of the game, instead of taking her (or anyone else's) opinion into consideration. It was becoming more frustrating as time went on, and honestly, she didn't know if she wanted to salvage what was left of their 'relationship.' 

"Earth to Hailey...Hailey. Hello, Hailey?" Jay was waving his hand in front of her, trying to get her attention. She snapped out of her wildly running thoughts and looked at him.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was saying we have to go see Platt for our files. Are you good to go do that?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Let's run downstairs before Platt comes to find _us_. Lord knows she'll have our heads if _she _has to be the one to walk."

Jay cracked a smile. "Good point." 

When they bounded downstairs, Trudy was already staring at them, files in hand. "Bout time you two got down here. These pages are burning a hole in my hands."

"Always so nice, Sarge." Halstead said, giving her a signature grin. Hailey just looked absentmindedly at the stack of paperwork in Platt's hands.

"Yeah yeah. Alright, here's everything you'll need. Names, licenses, bills...you guys know the drill, right?" Trudy looked at the two of them with her usual expression of '_Please don't ask me anything else just go now_' so Jay and Hailey simply nodded, took their files, and walked back upstairs. 

"So, anything pop up that we didn't expect?" Hailey said, peaking over at Jay from across her desk. He poked his head up from his file to look at her.

"Nothing really. I noticed we're still using our old UC names from a couple years ago. So get used to calling me 'Ryan' then, 'Kelly.'"

Hailey gave him a lazy half smile. "Uh-huh, okay." 

They continued reading through their files so that they had their story straight. Hailey was now Kelly Anders, a down on her luck drifter from Murphysboro. She lived in an apartment off of 4th Street and was currently in-between jobs and looking for her next big move. Jay was now Ryan Porter, a banker who deals on the side to supplement his lavish lifestyle. He lived at the Complex in Cornerstone Park - full of luxe duplex condos. 

"So, looks like you're on the road to being a junkie, and I'm on the way to bankruptcy, essentially." Jay said, shaking his head at the elaborate nature of their backgrounds. Hailey's expression mirrored his own.

"Huh, yeah, I suppose so. Alright, so what's next on the books for today? Are we getting miced up now?"

Jay shook his head. "Nah, we gotta wait for intel from Kev and Antonio. For now, we should just sit tight."

"Alright, well while you're sitting tight _here_, I'll be sitting tight at Molly's. You wanna join?"

Jay eyed her. Hailey threw up her hands in defense. "Hey! I'm starving! And since we don't have anything else to do, I'm grabbing a bite. Just call or text to let me know if something jumps off, alright?"

"Okay, will do." He hesitated for a beat, before saying, "No Adam tonight?"

He watched his partner's blonde hair swish around her shoulders as she turned to look back at him. "No, not tonight. And even if he was back from scouting the locations with Kim and Voight, I don't think I'd invite him out anyhow."

Jay cocked his eyebrow in curiosity. "Okay, I changed my mind, I am coming with you to Molly's."

Hailey raised her brows in surprise. "Oh yeah? And why's that?"

Jay chuckled as he grabbed his jacket. "Because you look like you're ready to spill. So I'm ready to listen if you need me to."

* * *

"Kevin, Antonio, what'd you got?" 

Hank stood at the white board, pen in hand. Antonio went first. "My first CI, Jasmine, she told me that coke, X, meth, and benzos are all still regularly being rotated through clubs all over Chicago. The 3 biggest rotations are happening right here within our district. She said that Club 1-5 is the most popular because Andre makes it real easy for girls to get it...and get hooked." 

Voight nodded, scribbling down Club 1-5 and underlining it. "And Andre is?" 

"My CI mentioned Andre too. Andre Lancaster. He's currently the go-to guy for running drugs, and running the girls into Club 1-5. That's his house, at least on the streets it is. He technically works as a bouncer for the club, but he's been trafficking in girls on the low, then pocketing the cash himself." 

Voight wrote Andre's name in all caps, and put his picture up once Adam printed it. "Alright, so that's our target. Andre Lancaster. Antonio, did your CI give you any particulars on the girls there? A prick like this has got to have a type." 

Antonio nodded. "Yeah, Jasmine said that since the 4th OD, Andre's been on the lookout for new girls. He prefers blondes, but Jasmine said he pretty much will hit on anything that moves." 

The team collectively rolled their eyes at how much of a douche this guy was, but Jay glanced over at Hailey, noting her bright blonde hair and what that might mean for their undercover work. Oh boy. They might have to go in deep. 

"Alright, let's do some recon. Adam, you and Kim stake out the club. Kev, you'll be inside. Antonio, you're with me to monitor Halstead and Upton's activity. Jay, Hailey, that means you two are up. Tonight, first dive in. See if you can get Andre's attention."


	3. First Dive In

Hailey checked her makeup one last time in the small mirror in her locker at the office. She remembered why she rarely wore red lipstick. It drew so much attention - but she supposed that was the point of tonight. She smoothed out her newly blown out locks one more time, making them lay flat against her chest. She gave herself one last look to make sure she didn't look utterly ridiculous, and walked outside to meet up with the rest of the guys. She hated balancing in the 4 inch heels, but they worked well with her dress. She wasn't normally one to wear something so feminine (a plum lace minidress), but since this was an upscale club, it was very much a black tie place, even if the clothes didn't stay on for very long. 

The whole team was decked out in varying shades of black, charcoal, and navy. Voight, Antonio, Kim, and Adam were all in blackout attire since they were going stealth for the stakeout. Kevin had changed into a dark grey suit and black collared shirt. She took a step over to her side, trying to see if Jay was sitting on one of the benches in the warehouse part of the district. As she did, she bumped into someone. She whirled around, expecting to see her partner, but instead Adam tucked his arms around her waist and stole a quick kiss from her. 

"Damn, my girl is looking all sorts of fine in that dress. Nice choice, Hails."

She gave him a small smile, placing her hands on his chest. "Thanks." 

She was about to ask everyone if they'd seen Jay yet, but as she moved a bit to her right, she saw him walk out of the bullpen into the warehouse to join the rest of the crew. She got a kick out of watching his expression as she walked over to him. His eyes widened and his brows hiked up in surprise. He ran a hand over his mouth to try and hide it. 

"Wow, is that really Hailey Upton in there?"

She laughed. "Ha, very funny Jay." She gave him a casual once over. The black suit with the navy blue shirt was really something on him. "You don't look half bad, for a banker, I mean."

"Gee, thanks." He smiled over at her.

"Ready to go then?" She asked him, grabbing her wrap from the chair. They had both gotten fitted for mics earlier with Tech. Hailey wore the nearly invisible one in her ear, and Jay's was hidden underneath his shirt. If they happened to get separated during the night, Hailey's backup was in her clutch, and Jay's was hooked into his belt buckle.

Jay nodded. "Yeah, let's go." 

* * *

"Welcome to Club 1-5, gentleman." The host had literally parted the velvet ropes for the 3 of them to step through into the main entryway of the club. "And the lovely lady." He held Hailey's hand a little too long for her liking, but she begrudgingly obliged him.

"Is this your first time here?" The man wore an expression like he already knew their answer.

Kevin, Jay, and Hailey all looked at each other. "Yes," they said in unison.

"Wonderful. Well again, welcome. First timers are welcome on the first floor lounge, dance floor, and bar. Right this way." 

He led them down the hall and parted some velvet curtains to show them the massive space. It housed red lounge chairs with glass tables, a dance floor and DJ, and a full bar. The neon lights illuminated every square inch of the floor, making it look metallic. There were people buzzing everywhere, and it was only 11:30pm. Hailey tried to take it all in, but man was it a lot. She hadn't seen a club this packed in a while. She wondered if that would make it easier or harder to spot the drugs being dealt. She snuck a quick glance at Jay, who was looking around too. She saw that he nodded over to Kevin, who casually excused himself to the bar. 

"So, just you two then, yes? Would you like a room?"

Hailey and Jay glanced at each other. Hailey coughed, and Jay spoke up instead. "Not tonight. Kelly begged me to come with her to see about some job offer you guys had out?"

"And how did you hear about this?"

Hailey answered. "Andre was the one that actually mentioned it to Ryan. He said that you were looking for new girls, and I could _really _use the extra cash." She looked at the man with her best puppy dog eyed expression.

He nodded, seeming to understand. He motioned for her to come with him. When Jay started to walk too, the man stopped him. "Sorry, Ryan. It's Ryan, right? Just her for now. Have to see what Andre thinks of her first." 

Jay pushed his lips together and gave a forced nod. Hailey shot a glance back his way before being led off by the host. She just hoped she would get in so she could stop these drugs from killing another girl. 

* * *

Jay decided to take the alone time to radio back to base. "You guys got that? Hailey's on her way back to meet Andre. He really is the boss for these girls. Kev, how you doing on your end? Seeing anything?" 

He looked over at Kevin, who was still at the bar, casually looking around while acting like he was having a drink. He shook his head no to Jay, who nodded in confirmation. 

Jay heard Voight's voice on the other end of the radio. "Jay, continue to scope out while Hailey's with Andre. But stay close on her. You too Kevin. We're not losing her again." 

Jay knew he was referring to the abduction from a few months ago. Dammit, he really didn't need that in his head right now. He had finally stopped blaming himself for what happened, but he still couldn't help but wonder 'what if.' He shut his eyes and shook his head, as if that was going to get rid of the thoughts. 

"Copy that, Sarge" he heard Kevin say.

"Yeah, copy that." Jay said, quieter than usual.

He tried to focus on the task at hand. _Scope. Scope. Scope_. He slowly walked around to where the chairs and tables were, seeing throngs of girls talking to, serving drinks to, and almost dry humping the men that were in the chairs. Jesus. He picked one of the corner booths so he could see up on the balcony and still be able to scan the first floor. 

"Hey Kevin, anyone saying anything over there?"

"Yeah bro, one girl said Andre's looking to do a big blowout soon. Don't know if she means legit party or drugs, so I'm gonna have to keep on it, okay? Keep you posted. How you and Hailey doing?"

"Good, good, yeah, we're all squared away here." 

He noticed a bronzed brunette heading his way, so he casually stretched out to act as if he was intrigued. She practically purred in his ear. "All alone tonight, handsome?"

Jay sat up a little straighter in his seat. "For now, yeah."

The girl got down to eye level, giving him an all-too-easy view of her chest in an ill-fitting orange dress. When she spoke, he saw that her lips were oddly the same color as her dress. _Who has even heard of orange lipstick? _ Jay thought to himself. He locked eyes with the woman when she ran her hands down his clothes. She must have been talking still, because her mouth was moving.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

She pouted slightly before answering. "I just asked you what your name was. I'm Brandy." She was still bent over to him, her hands stopped on his chest. She moved in so close that Jay could smell the beer on her breath. _Fitting name_.

He was about to answer when she saw a flash of blonde hair across the way with a tall, Latin man. He gave Brandy an apology, saying he had to go speak to someone. She whined, saying that he owed her a dance at least, but let him go on his way. Jay bolted from the chair and ran over to see if the girl he saw really was Hailey. It'd been almost 30 minutes since she went back. 

"H-Kelly?" He asked, touching the woman's shoulder. A wave of relief washed over him when he saw Hailey's face turn to him.

"Yes? Oh hi Ryan. Andre, this is my friend Ryan. You know, the one I mentioned earlier?" Hailey looked from Andre to Jay, a stone cold look on her face.

Andre blew a puff of smoke out of his mouth from his cigar. "Ah yes. Mr. Porter. What do you think of the establishment?" He made a grandiose gesture with his hands.

Jay nodded, coming around to where Hailey stood. "Very nice, very nice. So Kel, what's the deal? You got a job or what?"

Andre laughed. "Relax, Ryan. She impressed me so much, she's going to be a star here." 

Hailey gave Jay a sympathetic smile. He mimicked one back to her. Hailey said enough thank you's for the both of them, and the two partners decided it was time to grab Kevin and fill each other in. As they walked back towards the bar, Jay touched Hailey's hand, startling her for a second. She looked at him quizzically. "What?" 

"That dress really does look great on you." He said it close to her ear, almost in a whisper. 

Hailey was thankful this side of the club got a little bit dimmer so the darkness could hide the blush that was creeping up onto her cheeks. She leaned in towards Jay and whispered her reply. "And your suit really um, suits you." She cracked up a little, not believing she actually made that bad of a pun. She wasn't normally this awkward around Jay, but lately, things between the two of them were different, to say the least. She didn't mean to shut him out, but after the abduction, she kind of put up a wall with everyone for a little bit. Even Adam. She took a personal week and went sans technology, going to her parent's house in Lake Forest. She didn't tell anyone she was going, so when she got back, everyone was curious. Jay wasn't so much curious as he was concerned. They finally did talk about things, but even after everything was said and done, it was like there were these thoughts floating above them, these unspoken words haunting their hangouts. Like they weren't telling each other the whole truth. Or maybe the only people they were lying to were themselves. She _knew_ something had changed between them; she just didn't know how to figure out how he felt.

When they met up with Kevin, they gave each other the rundown. Kevin mentioned that the one girl who was chatting up a storm at the bar mentioned that Andre had a closer to home stash house. Jay noticed that the balcony floors were kept dark and secluded - that was probably where the deals were done. He remembered seeing a young woman brushing off her nose before coming down the balcony steps. Hailey gave her first impression of Andre: handsy, a major player in the game, and he definitely had no sadness over his loss of working girls. 

The 3 of them headed for the exit, when Andre stopped Hailey. "Oh Kelly." He slipped her a piece of paper. "My card."

Hailey smiled and tucked the card into her clutch. The 3 of them drove back to the house where the rest of the team was. Night one was officially complete. Hailey grimaced, knowing this was going to be a long UC operation for sure.


	4. Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts

"So what do we know now?"

Voight's voice echoed over the Intelligence squad room. Hailey answered first, relaying her intel on Andre. Jay and Kevin were up next. Kim and Adam joined the group in a second, looking a little out of breath. 

"Sorry boss. We just" Adam paused to take a breath. "Literally ran down a name."

Kim finished. "That host that met up with Jay, Kev, and Hailey? He's a...what's the word?" She paused, trying to think of it.

Adam snapped his fingers. "Procurer, if you will, of the women. He uses his position to survey the ladies as they enter to see if Andre will like them. And he sends the ones back that he thinks have potential. He's not a major pimp, only a couple minor related charges on his sheet. Jerry Laud is his name."

Kim added, "We were pulling out of our spot when we spotted his car leaving the club. We followed him while he went to this warehouse on Old Lane Road. We think it might be the stash house. But we couldn't get a look inside, it was too dark, and he would've seen the car." 

"Got it. Okay, good work guys. Antonio and I noticed that 11 isn't even the hot hour for people. Midnight-1AM gets the most traffic. Which means the most women, dealers, buyers, you name it."

He tacked Jerry's picture up on the board and called it a night, sending everyone home for some shut eye.

* * *

On her way out, Hailey stopped Kim in the parking lot. "Hey."

Kim was slightly caught off guard, but her expression soon softened. "Hey, what's up?"

Hailey paused, chuckling. "Um, well, I have a weird question to ask you. You don't happen to have anything that's a corset or red, do you? Apparently tomorrow is a theme night, and it's gonna be my first night on the job."

Kim thought about it for a moment. "Oh! Y'know what, I do actually. And no, it's not what you think. I did a UC as a hooker 4 years back, and I think I still have the leopard print top I wore. I'll text you when I find it, and I'll bring it to the station, okay?"

Hailey breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Kim. You're saving my ass here." 

Hailey had just made it to her car when Adam came out of the shadows. She would have thought it was cute, him waiting for her, if he hadn't just scared the hell out of her.

"Jesus, Adam! What the hell?" She swatted him away as he tried to hug her. He was laughing, saying he was sorry. She knew he was. She was just too tired to hang out tonight. Especially since she had to go over tomorrow's plan, and get herself mentally prepared for her uc work.

"You wanna grab a drink, Hails?"

She sighed, looking at his big puppy dog eyes. "Alright, but seriously just one. Because I need to get home to go to sleep."

She put up her hand to stop Adam's next words. "And yes, I mean _actual_ sleep." 

He feigned hurt, but was all smiles anyway. He hopped into her car and she drove to Molly's. 

* * *

When they arrived, it was almost 2am, close to closing.

"Well if isn't some of my favorite detectives!" Hermann smiled over at Adam and Hailey from behind the bar. "What can I get you guys?" 

Adam put in for two beers, but Hailey instead asked for whiskey. Adam looked at her with raised brows. "Shaking things up." She said, shrugging at him. He nodded, and when their drinks arrived, they clinked their respected glasses together. 

"You nervous for tomorrow at all?" He asked, swiveling in his chair to look at her.  
Hailey looked down at her shot and back up at Adam. "Not really. I told you I've done plenty of UC work before, right?"

Adam nodded. "Right, right. I just didn't know if you'd done _that_ kind of work before. From what I've seen, things can pretty wild, especially when people have lost their inhibitions. Serving drinks is way different than, uh, serving yourself."

Hailey about choked on the last of her whiskey. It went down her throat and left a burning, sour taste in her mouth. "Nice."

Adam somewhat seemed to realize his error. "Sorry, you know what I mean."

Hailey fought an eye roll. "I know what you meant. But Adam, I also know how to handle myself."

Adam let out a breath. "I know. I just don't want you to get in over your head. My hope is that everything goes smoothly. For you...for all of us."

Hailey nodded, putting on a smile. "Here's hoping. Alright, well, I'm outta here," she said, laying her money on the bartop. "See you later." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and bid him a goodnight before she finally drove back to her apartment. 

Just as she unlocked her door, her phone buzzed. She figured it was Adam, but to her surprise it was actually Kim. _Right, the top_. She mentally caught up with herself, and looked at the text, which confirmed her thoughts.

_Hey Hailey, shirt's here. I'll bring it tomorrow. See you then. -Kim. _

Hailey shot off a quick reply: _Thanks, Kim. See you tomorrow._

* * *

The morning came and went for Hailey, and all of Intelligence really. They had interviews upon interviews to conduct, with club members, other workers, Andre's crew, family, friends...you name it, they probably talked to them. Hailey was paired up with Jay for most of the morning, but Voight did send the two of them with Adam and Kim to visit that possible stash house location again. Adam and Kim had point and checked around the property first, while Hailey and Jay sat tight in the van and kept watch for either Jerry or Andre.

30 minutes later, Adam burst through the door, startling Hailey. Jay laughed, and she playfully pushed him. Kim followed in behind Adam, and filled them in. "Nothing. Not. A. Thing. Either they're smart or this was never their main house to begin with. Maybe this was just Jerry's own personal hangout, who knows. But there was no sign that they were ever here."

The four of them may have come back empty handed, but Antonio and Kevin did not. They managed to catch Andre with his supplier downtown. They had photos and everything. Voight sent Kevin and Antonio back out their CIs, and was going to send Adam and Kim out, but Kim's eyes locked on Hailey. It took her a second, but then she remembered. That damn top. Jay went ahead in her place, while Kim and Hailey went back to the locker rooms. 

"And _why_ are you being so secretive?" Hailey asked while Kim was pulling her down the hallway.

"Because" Kim said, fishing out the top from her bag, "I didn't think you'd want everyone to see your full blown hooker look for tonight."

Hailey scoffed. "Oh please, I'm just wearing a leather skirt and that top, it's not like I'm going out in my underwear."

"You may as well be!" Kim retorted. Hailey rolled her eyes and studied the top. It was loud, yes, but it worked.

"Kim, you remember that I won't actually be like, a top-notch girl there, yeah? I'm just gonna serve some drinks, _maybe_ flirt a little, and see what I can get out of Andre, and my co-workers. That's all. These clothes are staying _on_."

"Hailey, I was reading up on this club, and obviously Andre doesn't play by the rules. He's not even the owner, but the actual owner's never around. Andre's like the right hand man, or whatever, so he can pretty much do whatever he wants. Who's to say he's not running a full on ring there. I mean, I'll just say what everyone's thinking: it's practically hookers-r-us in there! Not to mention all our victims were barely legal themselves."

"So what are you saying?" Hailey looked at Kim in frustration.

Kim let out an exasperated breath. "I'm just saying, things never go as planned anymore. Especially in our unit. And I just wanted you to be on high alert. We have to nail this prick, Hailey, we just have to."

"I know, Kim, I know. God, y'know, you sound just like Adam. No wonder Voight pairs you two up - you think alike. Always thinking about the result, never the process. I- just forget it." Hailey sighed. "Thanks for the top, I'll be sure to get it back to you after I'm done stripping, apparently." 

Hailey took the top and ran to the bathroom, running on fumes. She took a second to collect herself, still not believing how much Adam and Kim were alike. She knew they meant well, but why did it never come across that way then? It was like they were sure something was going to go wrong. She knew things weren't going to be easy, she wasn't naive. But Hailey had only been in that club for one evening. When she first met with Andre, he said she would do what she was comfortable with. She knew she'd have to eventually get on the dance floor or really bond with one of the other girls and get her to talk, but other than that, she didn't see how hooking up with a million men were going to get them any closer to finding the drugs. She would just have to keep her head on straight, and not get caught up in it. 

When she came out and rounded the corner, she ran into Jay and Adam. "Hey, you guys get anything?"

Jay nodded. Adam spoke first, "Caught Andre making a beeline from downtown to a bank, either cashing in or making a withdrawal. So we came back here to do a full financial work up."

Jay took over the conversation. "Well, _he_ came back here to do a financial work up. _I_ came back here to grab you, because we have to get re-miced and change clothes."

Hailey nodded, checking her phone for the time. Wow, the workday really flew by. She went ahead with Jay to Tech while Adam went back to his desk.

* * *

While they were standing there, getting taped up, Jay struck up conversation. "You sure you're good? You've barely said like, two words all day."

Hailey's head shot up. She had zoned out, both Adam and Kim's words playing in her head. "Hm? Oh yeah, no, I'm fine."

Jay was still looking at her with _that look_. Hailey sighed. "Oh quit that." She tried to kick him, since her arms were up while her wire was being put in. Her legs were just short of hitting him. Jay chuckled, feigning hurt. "Quit what?"

"You keep looking at me like you already know what I'm thinking! There's no way that's possible!"

Jay nodded, pressing for her to continue. "Try me."

Hailey sighed, giving in. "Fine, but you have to guess once. If you're wrong, you get nothing. If you're right, then I'll spill."

"I'm assuming either Adam or Kim said something to you today that's gotten under your skin, even though you don't like to admit when that happens. You know, it's okay to react, Hailey. You don't always have to keep it together."

Hailey felt her mouth drop open a little bit. "How the hell did you know that?"

Jay shrugged his shoulders as best he could (his arms were up like Hailey's). That made Hailey laugh. "I'm a detective, it's what I do best."

Hailey eyed him suspiciously. "No seriously, now you've gotta spill. What, did I give something away earlier today?"

"No, not at first. But when I saw you and Adam didn't come in together, I figured something was up. And then you came out of the locker room by yourself, without Kim, even though you went in together. So you more than likely left in a hurry. Or she left. But either way, you didn't seem like you were completely ready to go, so I knew something had to be up."

"Damn, you are good. Yeah, but it was seriously nothing, now that I think about it." Hailey shook her head, trying to smile.

"Hailey, come on. Just tell me. I wanna help. Besides, you can't go in tonight with all this swirling around in your mind. If you're not 100% then-"

Hailey stopped him. "-Then I might screw this whole thing up, I know." 

She watched as Jay's brows knitted together. "No. That's not what I was going to say at all. I was going to say that if you're not 100%, then you'd be going in blind. And I wouldn't want you getting hurt because of that."

Hailey's took in his words. _Finally, something different_. "Well, hey, I did say if I was gonna follow someone blind, I'd follow you, so it's a good thing we're in this together then, huh?"

Jay smiled at her. "Yeah, it sure is. And you know I've always got your back. Nothing's gonna happen. And you will definitely not screw up. Even if you did, you always make it right. I don't know why Adam and Kim were talking to you like they didn't think you had a handle on this, but I believe in you. So you've got me in your corner."

"Thanks, Jay. That means a lot."

Tech gave them the thumbs up, so they both could put their arms down. Jay looked over at her. "So, you good?"

Hailey nodded. "I'm good."


	5. Close Call

When they got to the club later that night, Kevin and Jay went inside first to get into position, followed soon after by Hailey. Adam and Kim were across the street, they had eyes Jerry. Voight and Antonio were across the way too, waiting for anything new to pop from CIs or from their fellow detectives.

"You guys good?" Adam radioed into Kevin, Hailey, and Jay.

"Yeah, all set."

"Good here."

"Yes."

Hailey walked towards the office where she first met Andre last night. He was waiting at his desk, and perked up when he saw her come in.

"Ah, yes. Kelly, so nice of you to come. Come in, come in. We need to chat before you get going."

Hailey sat down on the chair across from his desk, and watched as he came around to the front of it, leaning against the wooden table. She did a quick scan of his office, and took in his look so she could point him out to Jay or Kevin if needed.

"What exactly do we need to chat about?" She asked, hopefully innocently enough.

"Well, first off. We need to get you a name."

Hailey gave him a questioning look. "What's wrong with my name?"

"It's not..._sexy_ enough. We want something that just rolls off the tongue." Andre said, his grin wide.

"Okay, well, what do the other girls have? Are there choices, or how does it work?"

"We have 10 girls now, with you joining us. There's Brandy, Sasha, Vixen, Lola, Cece, Sugar, Zee, Ophelia, and Brittany."

Hailey thought for a minute. What kind of name sounded like a sexier version of Kelly?

"Does Candi work?"

Andre's grin gave the Cheshire cat a run for his money. "Perfect."

He came in front of her and bent down. Hailey was acutely aware that he could probably see up her skirt from that angle, but her focus was on his mouth, which came dangerously close to her ear, whispering words she never thought she'd hear.

"So do you taste as sweet as you look?"

His mouth nipped at her earlobe, making its way along the seam of her jaw. She felt her body stiffen when he ran his hands down her legs.

"Wow, okay." She put her hands up to stop him. When he wouldn't let up, she more forcefully pushed him back against the desk, getting in his face so it would seem like she was trying to seduce him (instead of the other way around). She ran her hand along his face, pursing her lips.

"Now Andre, I would've thought you'd want me working the floor right now. Come on now. If you wanna see a free show, why don't you follow me and watch for yourself?"

She quickly turned on her heels, doing her best sashay as she exited Andre's office. It was the only time she didn't care whether or not her skirt rode up.

* * *

She walked back out to the main floor, scanning the room for Jay and Kevin. She spotted Kevin at the bar, chatting people up. She didn't spot Jay at first, but that was only because there were a couple bobbleheads trying to get his attention. She managed to lock eyes with him for a split second, but just as quick it was gone as one of the girls pulled his face away.

She shook her head, trying not to laugh. Jay was _not_ the type of guy they thought he was. And the fact that they were trying way too hard to get him to notice them was comical.

She went ahead and sauntered up to the dance floor. She thought she saw some activity going on in the far corner, but before she could get closer, she felt someone press up against her. Whoever they were, they reeked of alcohol and smoke.

His breath was warm against her shoulder, and he pressed all of his body against her own. When he started to grind against her, she stepped forward, putting some distance between them. He tried to pull her back in, but she whirled around to face him.

"Not now." She glared up at him.

"Feisty. I like 'em feisty." His words were all strung together, and he kept pawing at her.

"**Look**" she said more forcefully. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Andre come into the room. And he was looking right at her. _Shit_. _Time to act fast_.

She spun around and pulled the guy closer to her. She whispered to him that she'd give him whatever he wanted, if he'd just go to one of their VIP rooms and wait there. He eagerly nodded and started to walk away.

She needed a breather, but she knew she had to get closer to what was happening in that corner. She managed a few more feet, and saw one of her coworkers - Brandy? No, Cece - pop something into her mouth before washing it down with a bit of wine. That can't be good. She was going to go see exactly what it was, when Andre pulled her back to him.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Hailey was taken aback by his tone. His grip on her arm was unrelenting.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I was just going to go to the bathroom."

He shook his head, and forced her to turn around. "No, you're _going_ to go work another customer."

Hailey scanned the room. Most of the men were either in VIP already or occupied with one of the girls. She tried to find someone that seemed too drunk to care what she did, but before she could say something, she felt Andre's hands squeeze her shoulders.

"Him." Andre nodded towards the guy, and Hailey followed his eyes.

_Oh no._

Hailey's eyes widened as they landed on her partner. Nope, Andre must mean the guy behind him, or next to him. She mentally crossed her fingers that it wasn't Jay.

"Which one?"

"The guy in all black, beer in his hand. The one Zee and Sugar were just standing by."

Yep. That sure was Jay alright. Those two girls had moved on, and apparently Andre noticed. What the fuck was she supposed to do that they hadn't already tried?

"Why me? Sugar and Zee are just as good, plus I'm so new.."

Andre laughed. "Why you? Why not. Besides, he keeps looking at you. He acts like he's not, but I could see it."

_God dammit Jay._

"So" Andre said, "go on."

_Fuck it_, she thought to herself. She caught jay's eyes once as she began to walk over to him. She was trying to mouth an "I'm sorry" to him, but he didn't seem to understand.

She sighed and prepared herself for what she would decide to do next. When she faced him, she simply wrapped her legs around his, pushed him back, and kissed him. He didn't do anything at first, but a few seconds in, she felt his mouth meld to hers. She pulled him back up a little bit, unintentionally moving her hips against his. He groaned, the movement a bit of a surprise. She used that to her advantage when she felt his lips part slightly. She slipped her tongue in and his battled hers for dominance in the heated makeout.

She stopped, trying to get a glimpse of Andre out of her peripherals, but couldn't. She leaned down and whispered to him. "Dance floor, now."

She saw Jay's brows furrow. She rolled her eyes and dragged him up anyway. At least this way they could talk.

She watched Andre watching them as they walked out to the dance floor. There was a disco ball in the center, glittering against the neon. She dragged Jay just out of sight, pulling him close so she could hear him and vice versa.

"What the hell was that?"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. Andre singled you out. What else was I supposed to do?!"

Jay awkwardly danced, while trying to think of something. "God Hailey, I don't know. But I sure as hell wasn't expecting that."

"I know, and again, I'm sorry. Thank you for going along with it. I think he bought it. So hopefully he's not onto us."

She pulled him down a little, whispering to him that she had a hunch that one of the girls took some benzodiazepines, and if she didn't find her soon, it might be too late. Jay nodded, scanning the room for Kevin. He stealthily radioed Kevin to let him know, and he relayed the team. Voight had everyone sit tight until they found the girl or the drugs she took.

Hailey grabbed Jay's arm, motioning over to the corner. "That was the last place I saw her. Cece. She popped something and drank a whole lotta wine after. I haven't seen her since."

"Alright, you check down here, Kevin and I will get up to the balcony."

Hailey nodded, and watched as Jay ran over to Kevin. She couldn't believe all of that just happened. But she had to stay focused and find Cece.

She zigzagged in and out of the throngs of club goers, looking for anything reminiscent of Cece. Platinum blonde, she was wearing a playboy bunny outfit, she told passersby that were curious.

One of the girls - this one was brandy this time - last saw her wander off with some guy upstairs.

Hailey breathed a sigh of relief. She tapped into her mic. "Jay? Kevin? She's up there. Playboy bunny outfit. Platinum blonde."

She heard Kevin on the other end. "Got it. We'll find her Hailey, don't worry."

Hailey ran up the stairs towards the balcony, but Andre stopped her yet again. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Hailey had to think fast. "That guy, the one from earlier. He preferred one of these rooms. I just had to reapply my lipstick. He likes red."

Hailey made her best pout, hoping it would get enough appeal to distract Andre. It worked. He chuckled. "Fine, just go." He smacked her backside as she went up the stairs.

Hailey was shocked, but not surprised. She continued her way up the stairs, trying to find Cece. She was relieved when she saw a bunny poof sticking on the back of a leotard.

"Cece! What's up girl? Where'd you go? I need to borrow your lip gloss!" Hailey said, making Cece look up.

She didn't even try to hide the cocaine. She just smiled, the white powder from her nose dripping onto her top lip, and handed Hailey her gloss.

Hailey took it, vacating all emotion from her face about the illegal activities going on in front of her.  
"Thank youuuuu!" She slicked a little on and tossed it back to Cece, relieved that she was okay. Well, maybe not okay, but alive. And that's all she could do right now without giving up her cover.

She sighed, turning to walk back downstairs when she remembered what she told Andre. _Shit_. She had to stay up here for longer.

Okay, she thought. Well then let's go find Jay and Kevin. She radioed them, both answering.

"Where are you two?"

"At the west end. We didn't see her so we moved. We're circling back around to you now." Jay said.

"She's good. Cece I mean. I found her. False alarm. We're in the clear."

"Got it. I'll tell Voight."

"Tell him no OD, but still illegal drugs coming through. They aren't even hiding it anymore. At least Cece isn't. I just saw her snort a whole bunch of coke. She didn't even care."

"Yo, it's aight. Hails, we'll get em." Kevin reassured her via radio.

Hailey was just about to respond with a thanks when she saw them.

"Thanks guys."


	6. Hangovers & Heartbreak

A few days later and they finally hit a major break in the case. Andre's supplier was hauled in to the precinct by Kim and Adam. And he talked. _A lot._

He gave up all of Andre's crew for a reduced charge of petty possession. From there, one by one, the team started racking em up. First Leo, the supplier. Then Andrew, Ed, Tommy, and Seth. They all spilled.

Andre was a part of the Latin kings, until his cousin got popped in 2010 for a DUI. To get the bail money, Andre starting dealing to get the cash quick. It took off from there, and soon he was running his own crew. He got caught up in the club scene because he was a frequent guest of club 1-5, until he realized the girls would be primetime customers. So he got the best of both worlds, as his guys told it.

The team couldn't believe how easy it was for Andre to fly under the radar for almost 9 years.

"Not anymore." Voight said. "We take him down. And we do it tomorrow." 

Hailey missed the interviews, but made it for the schpeel. Jay caught up with her after Voight dismissed everyone for the day.

"Hey, where were you? You never miss."

Hailey squinted, her fingers in between her eyebrows on either side of her nose. "I may, or may not be hungover right now."

Jay gave her a look. She instantly rolled her eyes. "Don't gimme that look. I'm too exhausted to deal with it. Unless you're pizza or Advil, I'm not dealing with you." 

Jay laughed as he watched his partner struggle to put on her coat. He paused and went behind her to help her slip her right arm into the sleeve. 

"Thanks." Hailey said, sniffling. They locked eyes for a moment, but jay broke contact by looking st the floor.

"What if I bring pizza and Advil? Then will you talk to me?" He said, a teasing lilt in his voice.

Hailey lightly punched his arm. "Fine. But you're buying."

Jay laughed. "Deal."

* * *

Back at her apartment, they were in the midst of their second slices when jay got serious. "Hailey, what happened? You dont even drink that much when you're out or we're hanging out, do you? What the hell made you do that?" 

Hailey sighed, scooting up to a cross legged position on her couch. She put her pizza plate on the table. 

"It was a game. A stupid game. The girls were letting loose after work. It was either down a shot or down a line. And well, you can guess which one I did."

"Jesus Hailey. Did any of the other girls just do the lines of Coke?"

"Cece did 4 rounds of it. That was the most I saw. But I didn't take her home, sugar did."

"Wait..." Jay paused. "Someone's name is Sugar?"

Hailey could tell he was fighting a grin. "Yeah well you're sitting here with Candi, so..."

Jay fully cracked a smile "No. Wow, they really broke you, huh?"

Hailey tossed her pillow at him. "You jerk, come on! I thought we were being serious here!"

Jay's expression softened when he realized how serious Hailey was. "Hailey, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or make you mad. I just had no idea these girls were in so deep with Andre that he gave them names. That's just insane."

"I know, tell me about it. I think it's just one of his ways to control them without them even realizing it's being done. You know?" 

Jay nodded, picking up his pizza.

Hailey did the same, but instantly put it back down when she felt her headache come back. "Dammit."

Jay must have noticed because he tossed her the Advil bottle again. She caught it, giving him a thumbs up and taking one more. She checked the time. "Shit it's really 10:30 already?"

She clapped her hand over her head when she realized Friday was her one day off from her "job."

"Wow, I must be more inebriated than I thought. I forgot I don't have to "work" tonight." She said, putting air quotes around work. 

Jay nodded, taking in the info. "So, movie?" He asked cautiously.

Hailey nodded. "Sure why not. But nothing too freaky. I'm so not in the mood."

Jay flipped on her tv and scrolled through the TiVo. He landed on the remake of _Vacation_, and Hailey gave another thumbs up.

They flipped on the movie, and every once in a while, without the other one knowing, they'd sneak glances of each other. Smiles were shared, laughs were had. And everything felt, dare they say, normal again?

* * *

A couple hours later, Hailey was walking back to her place when she saw Adam standing by her door. "Hey." He sounded tired, but otherwise alright.

"Hey." She replied, a little exhausted herself. It was nearing midnight, and she knew tomorrow was going to be crazy busy. "What's up?" 

She walked up to her door and unlocked it, motioning for him to come inside. He nodded, following her in while she set her bag down. She kicked off her shoes and settled in to her couch, and he joined her. 

"So…" She said, leaning in towards him, expecting him to kiss her. When he didn't, she backed up into her regular position on the couch. "Okay, so it's not that kind of visit. Seriously then, what's going on, Adam?" 

He crossed his arms, his usually bright face grew stone cold. "You tell me, Hailey."

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been different since this whole thing with Andre jumped off. This whole assignment, it's messed with you…with us."

"What in the world do you mean? Adam, I'm the same girl I've always been. If anyone's been different in our relationship, it's _you_."

Now it was his turn to question. "What? You're blaming me now? What the hell have I done?"

Hailey sighed. "You've gone from this fun guy to this serious, overworked, Voight-immitation, and that guy is so not the guy I knew when this thing started. God, Adam, it's like you never hear me out anymore. It's always about the team, the job, or how else to get ahead. It's never been just us. It's like no one else matters to you!"

Adam scoffed. "Oh, really? Because lately all you've done is prance around Andre's club and have gone so deep into your character you can't think straight!"

"What does that even mean?! Are you kidding me right now? If anyone's not acting like themselves, it's you Adam! God, I've told you time and time again that I can handle this…any UC op, actually. It's a part of the job!" 

"Oh yeah, and what part of being all over Jay a couple nights ago was in your job description, huh?"

Hailey looked at him incredulously. "Oh my God, seriously? Don't even go there. Jay was a little worried about how Andre was handling me earlier in the night, so he kept watching my back. Andre saw him look at me, and thought he needed to be attended to. So he literally forced my hand, alright? I had to go over there, and I couldn't think of anything else to do! It was a spur of the moment decision! Andre was watching me the whole time. If I didn't do something, we would've been screwed."

Adam whispered something under his breath, but Hailey didn't hear it. She glanced over in his direction. "I'm sorry, _what_? What was that?"

She watched him roll his eyes. "I said, 'Don't you mean, _you'd_ be screwed?'"

Hailey gave him an angry laugh. "Ha, that's priceless coming from _you_. You can't be serious. **Nothing. Happened. With. Jay**. Okay. And I sure as hell didn't screw up this op by doing what I did. So if that's what you think of me, then maybe you really have changed."

Adam nodded. "Ok. And maybe _we've_ changed too much to do this anymore. Because I can't keep up with you, not like this."

Hailey bit her lip. "And I don't think I can handle someone that doesn't understand what I'm doing anymore." 

They both looked at each other for a minute, neither of them speaking. Their silence spoke loud enough: they were ending this thing between them, before anything got worse.

Adam quietly got up from her couch, gave her a quick nod before dismissing himself out of her door. Hailey simply sat there and watched him go, not even realizing she was holding her breath until a tear slipped down her face from the pressure. She let go, and for the first time in a long time, felt relief.


	7. Hit It

"All set for tonight, Hailey?" Voight asked her as the team gathered in the warehouse. Hailey nodded. Earlier in the day, the team had managed to covertly track down Andre's stash house and bust it wide open. She was relieved that part was over, and now all she could focus on was finally getting that SOB. That close call with Cece shook her a little; that could have been _her_ in a week or so. She was glad that this would all be over after tonight.

She glanced around at her team, all wired up and changed into appropriate attire. When she and Adam locked eyes, she quickly looked away, not wanting the memory of last night to distract her. She would not let him be right. She had to prove him wrong.

"Hey." Jay had snuck up so quietly behind her that she barely even heard him until he tapped her on her shoulder which made her turn around.

"Hey." She too was quiet, but she was hoping that for once, he didn't notice.

"Are you still revved up about that close call with Cece? Hailey, that wasn't on you. You did everything you could. And hell, that ridiculous game? You were just playing the role. You didn't make her take anything."

Hailey shook her head. _If only it was just about that_. She thought she had only thought that to herself, but apparently she had spoken it aloud. Yep, as she looked at Jay's face, she knew she had said it.

He wore his signature look of concern but not pity. "What do you mean?"

Hailey pursed her lips, giving him a tight lipped smile. "Um, Adam and I…we're done. Nothing tragic, nothing lost. Just, this whole UC deal made us realize how different we had become. Too different. It's not so much the breakup as it was our fight that got me a little flustered."

Jay prompted her to continue. Hailey gave him a sad smile as she spoke. "When I called him out on acting like Voight and only caring about getting ahead, he flew off the handle about what happened with us, and then accused me of going too far…so far that he didn't trust that I could do this anymore."

She watched as Jay processed the statement. His brows furrowed in confusion, then rose in surprise. "Wait, what? That's it, I've had it." Jay began to walk towards Adam, but Hailey held him back, pleading with her eyes for him not to start something. _Not here, not now._

Jay understood, and simmered down. "God, Hailey, I'm sorry if this whole thing caused issues for you guys. But that doesn't give him the right to question your dedication to the job. You're the most loyal cop I know." He paused, leaning in a little closer to her. "But as for what happened with us? I'm not apologizing for any of it." He opened his mouth once more as if he was going to say something else, but he left it at that.

Voight's timing was impeccable because his voice rang out over the warehouse at just that moment. "Alright guys, everyone knows the plan? Me and Antonio will watch over in the mobile command. Adam, Kim, Kevin, you guys are all inside. Jay, you cover Hailey. As soon as she gets Andre, we go. Everyone clear?"

The squad gave their boss a collective nod. "Alright, let's hit it."


	8. Pushing Their Limits

"You set, Jay? Kevin?" Hailey spoke softly into the dark club. She tapped her earpiece to make sure she got a clear sound. She heard their voices come through the next second.

"Yep, all good."

"All good here, Hailey."

She took a deep breath, and made her way out of the break room and onto the dance floor. She danced with a few guys, mostly chatting as she maneuvered her way around the floor. She was secretly seeking out Andre, but shockingly hadn't seen him yet since she arrived.

"Anything?" She asked Jay and Kevin. She was getting a little nervous. _What if he was onto them?_

Before Jay or Kevin could respond, she felt a sharp squeeze of her shoulders. She used to peripherals and spotted Andre's signature white suit. He leaned up against her, and whispered in her ear. "Ah yes. My sweet Candi girl. You've been doing good tonight, yeah?"

Hailey nodded, standing completely still. He ran his hands over her forearms, almost like he was reassuring her, but more than likely he was keeping her close.

"I never saw you come down with that guy you supposedly went upstairs with a few nights ago. So this time, I'll be making sure he gets the full experience tonight. If not, he's done, and out of my club. Can't have people only paying for drinks here."

Hailey's mind was racing. _Oh fuck, not this again_. But she couldn't risk Jay being thrown out. Not on tonight, of all nights. She sucked in a gulp of air, grabbed a free shot, and made her way over to him. She just hoped what he had told her earlier in the bullpen still held up after what she was about to do.

She was almost to his booth when she caught sight of his expression. She gave him a smirk. She knew he was probably surprised to see her like this. She went out of the precinct with a black dress on, and now came back out here with a red lace chemise.

She quickly pulled him up and over to the corridor by the VIP rooms. She knew Andre was still watching her every move, so she had make it look convincing. Not like Hailey needed much convincing. She kept mulling over she and Jay's relationship over the last couple years: how it had evolved from a partnership to a friendship, to..so much more than that. And she knew that she needed to always have him in her life, no matter what. She just hoped tonight didn't jeopardize that. But tonight wasn't about them. It was about those girls, and that son of a bitch who needed to pay for drugging them up and killing them.

She realized she hadn't said anything to Jay for like a solid minute. She had just been staring up at him. She blushed, avoiding his gaze momentarily as she collected her thoughts. She took a breath and gave him a look that hopefully conveyed that whatever she was about to do, had to be done. She pulled him as close as possible and kissed him, with more with more fever and passion than ever before. Jay easily captured her lips and kissed her back with just as much heat and intensity. He had backed her up against the wall, wrapping his arms around her waist; hers around his neck.

She pulled away breathlessly. He looked to be about the same. He looked at her, and for once she couldn't actually figure it out. She didn't know it was shock, confusion, understanding, or lust...or perhaps a combination of all those.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to one of the VIP rooms. They were closed off from the rest of the club, giving the ultimate privacy. Hailey figured it might be one of the easier places to get a minute away from Andre. But, as she followed jay inside the room and was closing the door, she saw Andre look at her with an anger she hadn't seen. _Was he onto them? Was he somehow going to be able to spy on them here_? Suddenly Hailey was hyper aware of how secluded the room was. It all felt too easy. She quickly held up her finger to her lips, making the "Shhh" sign to Jay. He gave her an "OK" and just continued to stand where he was, not saying a word.

Hailey raced around the room, checking for any flashes or beeps. She found one tiny blinking red light behind a lamp, inside a vent. Dammit. He _had _to be watching, or at least, _someone _would be.

She motioned for Jay to come over to where she was standing. She cocked her head up towards the camera, and he carefully looked at it sideways. His eyes flicked back to hers and he held her gaze for a moment.

Hailey took a deep breath, feeling a rush of energy through her body. She didn't know if it was nerves or adrenaline, but she knew she had to do something. She turned around and faced her partner, pushing him towards the futon-like furniture piece in the back center of the room. The lights were dimmed well enough that Hailey prayed there was no sound, so even if she did whisper, they wouldn't be able to read her lips.

Jay noticed she had shut her eyes for a minute. He touched her arm, bringing her hand away from her face. He mouthed to her "Are you okay?" and she nodded, moving her neck from side to side and shaking her shoulders.

Jay had sat back on the futon, and Hailey stood straight up so she fully faced him. 

"So Ryan, anything special tonight?"

She watched the light go off behind Jay's eyes.

"Surprise me, Candi."

Hailey looked at him, her tongue clicking against her cheek as she came up with something.

"Well, its only fair that you have as little clothing on as I do, don't you think?" 

Jay's eyes shot a look at her, but she was being serious. _Maybe it would be boring enough to get the camera off them_, Hailey thought. He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders, raising a brow at his partner. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

Hailey matched his expression, her lips parting slightly as she saw him. It wasn't like they were always used to each other like this, _especially _not like this.

She hesitated slightly, but barely missed a beat as she closed the space between them. They kissed again, going quicker than they had before. Hailey's hands fisted his hair; Jay's arms wrapped around her waist, settling them together on the couch. Each movement they made was surely calculated, but when their hands made their way down each other's bodies, they knew they were pushing the boundaries.

Hailey pressed up against Jay, their bodies fitting perfectly together. She ran her hands down his chest and abs, and he groaned. He kissed down her neck, and she let out a small moan when he paused over her pulse point. She didn't know if they should go further, but one look at the red light told her they had to.

She tried to get to his jeans, but he pushed her down so that they had flipped positions. When she looked up at him, he usually bright blue eyes were darkened with a fire that didn't scare her as much as thrilled her.

She bit her lip as he went back to his position on her neck. He made his way down to her collarbones and had paused at the lace trim of her top. His hands still gripped her hips, but when his fingers slid under the thin fabric she couldn't help but react. Her back arched in response to his touch, and her head fell back slightly. 

"Ry...Jay," she breathed. She gasped when she felt his reaction to her touch. She had wrapped her hands around his back, and could feel everything about him, so she only assumed the same was true for him about her.

"Ke-Hailey," Jay rasped out. He had inched his hand up against her stomach, and his touch sent shockwaves through her body. Her skin felt like it was on fire, his hands were the ice. He had tipped her back, and her hair splayed out over the cushion. 

She could feel the pressure build in her body, and she knew he needed a release just as badly as she did. When his eyes locked onto hers, she felt like he could see right through her. She sighed, her mind struggling to find the right words to say in this moment.

Unfortunately, she didn't have to, because as soon as she opened her mouth, the door burst open. Both Hailey and Jay jumped at the noise, turning their heads to see what was happening. They looked from the mystery people to each other, and back again, confused as to who they were or why they were there. It wasn't anyone from their team, and Jay hadn't heard any more activity. It took Hailey a second to recognize one of her coworkers that was standing in the doorway, a terrified look on her face. A man was standing next to her, equally shocked. They were only partially clothed, their eyes as wide as saucers. 

"Candi! You've gotta get out of here! There are cops everywhere!" 

* * *

Now it was Hailey who was freaked out. _Shit_, _they'd gone in already? Jerry must have made a move, or maybe it was a sneak attack. Either way, they were screwed if they didn't get out there._ She realized that she and Jay were still in an awkward position, and glanced at him from under her lashes.

Jay got it, and pulled her up from the futon. He quickly found his dress shirt while Hailey slipped the straps of her chemise back up onto her shoulders. The other guy and girl had departed from their doorway, so Jay and Hailey quietly made their way down the hall towards the main floor of the club. They heard gunshots and crowds of people yelling. It was utter chaos the moment they stepped out onto the floor.

Jay had a small gun hooked onto his sock underneath his jeans, and Hailey had a tiny pocket knife-like piece tucked into the waistband of her ensemble. They nodded at each other, silently saying to be careful but to do what they had to. They crept along the outside edges of the club, trying to get a good vantage point. Hailey was looking for Andre, and Jay was on the lookout for the team. He saw Kevin and Antonio cuffing some offenders, while Kim and Adam had just taken Jerry down. _Where the hell was Andre?_ Hailey snuck back behind the bar, using the taller counter top as a buffer in case Andre was out on the floor. What she didn't count on was him coming out of the supply closet. 

She had sensed someone behind her, but before she could grab her piece and fully turn around, he had a knife to her throat. She sucked in a breath. "Okay, okay." Andre's other hand squeezed her waist, dragging her back out towards the floor.

"Drop it, or I drop you." Hailey watched as Andre whirled around, twisting her too in the direction of her partner's voice. Jay held his gun steady, aiming right for Andre.

"Not a chance." Andre sneered, looking left and right as more of the Intelligence Unit surrounded him.

"Lancaster, don't be stupid." Voight cautioned.

"No, your unit is the one that's insane! What, you think you can put two cops in here and play me like that? No way, you Chicago cops have to learn that there are consequences for your actions. This is my club, these are my streets!"

"Try 3, bro." Kevin said. He and Adam had come around the back, so now Andre was completely surrounded. Voight was hovering over the exit, as was Kim. Antonio covered the front, and Jay was at the side, making a triangle around Andre and Hailey. 

"Okay, Andre, listen, just drop the knife, alright? You don't wanna do this." Hailey tried to only seemed to make him more mad.

"Shut up bitch. You were probably the worst. You and your boy," Andre yelled, looking at Jay. "I almost bought it too."

"Andre, I'm not gonna tell you again man. Drop the knife, now!" Jay shouted, trigger just waiting to be pulled. 

"Nah, man, I don't think you're the one in the position to give orders now. One move," He paused, making Hailey gasp as tightened his grip around her waist and around the knife. "And she's dead." He pressed the knife closer to Hailey's throat, paralyzing her. She honestly didn't know if there would be a way out of this. She locked eyes with Jay, her gaze holding a mix of emotions. His eyes reflected her sentiments, but still remained focused on her, like she was the only one there. And then, she understood. He really did care, and in more of a way than she ever thought possible. It moved beyond a physical connection, or the stolen glances, or the inside talks. It was a true trust between them, that no matter what happened, he'd always be there for her. And she always wanted him to be there, to be the one that she went to. She trusted him with everything she had, and she cared just as much for him as he did for her. Hailey felt that familiar pang in her stomach when Jay got shot last year. She couldn't be gone from his life.

Jay stood his ground, gun trained on Andre. He found Hailey's eyes, and held her gaze for as long as he could. He was not losing her. He couldn't lose her. He never wanted to picture his life without her. He finally admitted it to himself: he loved her. He broke away from Hailey's eyes for a moment, because he saw that Andre had let up slightly on his hold on Hailey and the knife. He looked back at Hailey and nodded, and she raised her brows, indicating she understood what needed to happen next.

When Andre shifted his feet, Hailey took her chance. She jammed her arm into his side, and threw her elbow backwards, making contact with his jaw. Andre stumbled back, and Jay got a shot off, hitting his shoulder. He stumbled, but didn't falter as much as they had hoped. More shots rang out from Antonio, Adam, and Kevin, but they ricocheted off the poles. Andre still had a hold on Hailey, despite his seeping shoulder. She twisted around, trying to get the knife from him. He threw her against the bar, and her head hit the counter on impact. She fell to the floor, everything going fuzzy around her vision.


	9. Back to You

Hailey's eyes flew open as the memory of the night of the shootout came back to her. She clamped her hand over her mouth, not believing that it really got that intense. Jesus, no wonder Jay was a little wary around her. She drew her face into her hands, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Oh my God." 

She felt Jay's hand on her shoulder, and she peered over at him. He was still wearing that same softened expression...the last one she saw before she went down. 

"We got him, Hailey. Andre's been booked and is on his way down to Statesville as we speak. He's never getting out. He'll never hurt anyone again."

She gave him a soft smile. "Thank god he'll be the one taking orders instead of giving them for once. Good, I'm glad he's in custody."

Jay's hand moved from her shoulder to her face, stroking her cheek. "You sure you're okay?"

Hailey rolled her eyes at him, but grinned. "Yes, Jay, for the millionth time, I am okay. Thanks to you."

Jay smiled at her, cupping her jaw. "Mmm, no. I believe you mean thanks to _you_. You did this Hailey. You did the work, and we got him."

She felt a nervous heat creep up onto her cheeks. She bit her lip. "Wouldn't exactly call what we had to do, _work_." 

Jay blushed too. "Um, yeah, about that..." He paused, his hand dropping away from her face. "I know it was intense. I get it, I do. And I know it started out for the job, but I couldn't help but feel something different spark in that room."

Hailey felt a wave of relief wash over her. She grabbed his hands. "I'm glad it wasn't just me then, because Jay, I couldn't have gotten through it without you. I can't imagine going through my life without you."

He softly smiled at her. "I'll always want you in my life Hailey. No matter what. I care about you so much, and the thought of losing you...it absolutely terrified me. And I know now that's because I-" 

Before he could finish his sentence, Hailey pulled him towards her and kissed him. It was soft and sweet, but meant more than anything else they'd shared before. Because this was just them, in real life, because they wanted to. No games, no lies, no fake names. Nothing. Just two people who were meant to be together.

When they pulled apart, she sighed. Jay had a look of longing in his eyes. "I love you, Hailey."

She beamed at him, her smile lighting up the whole hospital room. "I love you too, Jay."


End file.
